Mary Anne Yarde's Blog: The Coffee Pot Book Club , page 205

Author’s Inspiration ~ Anna Belfrage #timetraveller #IARTG @abelfrageauthor

Please give a warm Coffee Pot welcome to author, Anna Belfrage. Anna is going to tell us about her inspirations behinds her fabulous series ~ The Graham Saga. But first, let's take a look at Anna's latest book...
A Rip in the Veil



On a muggy August day in 2002 Alex Lind disappears without a trace. On an equally stifling August day in 1658, Matthew Graham finds her on an empty Scottish moor.  Life will never be the same for Alex – or for Matthew.
Due to a series of rare occurrences, Alexandra Lind is thrown three centuries backwards in time. She lands at the feet of Matthew Graham – an escaped convict making his way home to Scotland in this the year of our Lord, 1658.
Matthew doesn’t quite know what to make of this concussed and injured woman who has seemingly fallen from the skies- what is she, a witch?
Alex gawks at this tall, gaunt man with hazel eyes, dressed in what to her mostly looks like rags. At first she thinks he might be some sort of hermit, an oddball, but she quickly realises the odd one out is she, not he.
Catapulted from a life of modern comfort, Alex grapples with this new existence, further complicated by the dawning realization that someone from her time has followed her here – and not exactly to extend a helping hand.
Potential compensation for this brutal shift in fate comes in the shape of Matthew – a man she should never have met, not when she was born three centuries after him. But for all that Matthew quickly proves himself a willing and most capable protector he comes with baggage of his own, and on occasion it seems his past will see him killed. At times Alex finds it all excessively exciting, longing for the structured life she used to have.

How will she ever get back? And more importantly, does she want to?
A Rip in the Veil is the first in Anna Belfrage’s time slip series featuring time traveller Alexandra Lind and her seventeenth century husband, Matthew Graham.
Author’s Inspiration 

He came to me in a dream. No, that’s a lie, however poetic it sounds. My 17th century dreamboat grew out of the darker recesses of my brain, bit by bit, inspired by my husband. Now, while hubby is my dreamboat, I don’t think he qualifies as a dreamboat. Neither is he a 17th Century Scotsman willing to die for his religious convictions, nor has he ever been plus six feet tall and gifted with magical hazel eyes. So how, one wonders, can hubby have inspired Matthew Graham, protagonist of my 17th century timeslip series called…taa-daa…The Graham Saga?


The secret lies in hubby’s past – or rather in his ancestors. You see, once upon a time the Belfrage family was as Scottish as they came, holding land in Lowland Scotland. In the early 17thcentury, Henry Belfrage married Joneta Balram—a distant relative to the royal Stuarts. In 1612, the happy couple welcomed a son, John, to the world in Kirkcaldy, Scotland. What happened afterwards is all a bit murky, but come 1624 Joneta landed in Gothenburg, accompanied by her son. The original plan was for Henry to join his little family in Sweden, but that never happened—and no one knows why. What we do know is that Joneta felt obliged to flee her homeland to keep her son safe. We also know she never attempted to return home, so whatever caused her to run must have been serious enough to keep her away. As per what records we have, she fled due to religious persecution—not so uncommon in the 17th century.


I was totally fascinated by hubby’s family history. I imagined little John clad in kilt and sporran but hubby rolled his eyes and said that as far as he knew, his ancestors stuck to breeches. Turns out they did, because they were Lowland Scots, and at the time it was only Highland Scots who wore the plaid—generally not as a kilt which was not quite invented yet, but more like a cloak.   I wanted to know more and started reading up on the 17th century. To be honest, until then I’d been more of a medieval gal, but the more I read, the more fascinated I became, and so Matthew Graham began to take shape in my head. At first, this was a somewhat dour gentleman, much burdened by questions of faith and politics. Born in 1630, he grew up during the feverish years of the National Covenant, when the fiery Scots banded together to tell Charles I to back off when it came to their religion, or else…Well, as most of us know, Charles did not back off. Instead, he plunged his kingdoms into a bloody Civil War and ended up dead as a doornail. (Yes; very simplified, I know)


Matthew Graham somehow ended up in the New Model Army. Young and ardent, he quickly realised war was a dirty, bloody business, very far from the lofty ideals he held so dear. Adolescent fervour crashed with crass reality, and along the way Matthew lost his innocence. It didn’t exactly help when his royalist brother not only cuckolded him but also falsely accused him as a traitor to the Commonwealth authorities to save his own skin. Even worse, the men with whom Matthew had fought believed in these trumped-up accusations, and Matthew was imprisoned under dire circumstances.
He almost gave up. The flame of life was on the verge of guttering, and I had no idea what to do to make him regain some sort of hope in the future. Fortunately, this was when Alex Lind popped up. Okay, okay; she didn’t just spring forth out of nowhere. In fact, she’d been loitering in the darker corners of my brain for some time, a modern woman with a LOT of baggage and a very odd mother. Like extremely odd. But when life was at its darkest for Matthew, he happened to glance across the vast expanses of my mental landscape and caught sight of Alex in her bright red jacket and short mop of curls. He froze. He sat up. Those previously so dull hazel eyes lit up. 


“Her,” he said, looking at me. “I want her.”
“Impossible,” I told him. “She’s like three hundred years younger than you.”
“Fix it. Fix it now or I’ll just roll over and die.” His long mouth set in a firm line, and seeing as I know just how stubborn Matthew Graham can be (That Scottish gene is very much alive and kicking in hubby), I realised it was either throw him a time traveller or have him expire.
And so, dear reader, I tore the thin veil of time apart and flung poor, unprepared Alex three hundred years backwards in time. Falling through time is a painful business which is why she landed concussed and burnt at Matthew’s feet. Now and then, she tells me she still hasn’t forgiven me for putting her through that – or at least asking her opinion first. There was no time for stuff like that—after all, I had a dying Matthew on my hands. “You saved him,” I tell her, knowing full well that will soften the look on her face. After all, had it not been for me, she’d never have met the man she was fated for long before she was born. Not that I can take the full credit: after all, it was Matthew who saw her and realised that she was the one. The rest, as they say, is history.




Links for Purchase Amazon
About the author
Had Anna been allowed to choose, she’d have become a professional time-traveller. As such a profession does not exists, she settled for second best and became a financial professional with two absorbing interests, namely history and writing. Presently, Anna is hard at work with The King’s Greatest Enemy, a series set in the 1320s featuring Adam de Guirande, his wife Kit, and their adventures and misfortunes in connection with Roger Mortimer’s rise to power. When Anna is not stuck in the 14th century, chances are she’ll be visiting in the 17thcentury, more specifically with Alex and Matthew Graham, the protagonists of the acclaimed The Graham Saga. This series is the story of two people who should never have met – not when she was born three centuries after him. A ninth instalment is on its way, despite Anna having thought eight books were enough. Turns out her 17th century dreamboat and his time travelling wife didn’t agree…Anna can be found on her website, on Facebook and on her blog. Or on twitter and Amazon.

War is coming to Saxon Briton… #Arthurian #histfic

I have great news, you can pick up your kindle copy of The Du Lac Devil for only 1.99. But hurry, this offer won’t last long!!The Du Lac Devil(Book 2 of The Du Lac Chronicles) ByMary Anne Yarde


The Award Winning series ~ The Du Lac Chronicles, continues:
War is coming to Saxon Briton.
As one kingdom after another falls to the savage might of the High King, Cerdic of Wessex, only one family dares to stand up to him — The Du Lacs.
Budic and Alden Du Lac are barely speaking to each other, and Merton is a mercenary, fighting for the highest bidder. If Wessex hears of the brothers’ discord, then all is lost.
Fate brings Merton du Lac back to the ancestral lands of his forefathers, and he finds his country on the brink of civil war. But there is worse to come, for his father’s old enemy has infiltrated the court of Benwick. Now, more than ever, the Du Lac must come together to save the kingdom and themselves.
Can old rivalries and resentments be overcome in time to stop a war?
 
Book Extract
“What are you doing here?” Lady Amandine asked mere moments later. She glanced anxiously up and down the hallway. Thankfully, it was empty, for everyone else had already made their way down to the Hall to break their fast.
Merton was leaning against the opposite wall. In truth, he did not know why he was here, he had promised himself that he would keep his distance, but his feet had led him to her chamber nonetheless.
“I came to ravish you. Why else? Can I come in? Unless you want me to ravish you in the hallway of course,” he said, trying to shock.
“You are not coming in,” Amandine whispered, fearful that someone would hear them in the empty corridor.
“The hallway it is then.” He took a step forward as if he was going to make a grab for her. She immediately took a step back into her room and closed the door just enough so she could peek around and still see him.Merton laughed. The sound was joyous to Amandine’s ears. She wasn’t used to being teased. Merton made a welcomed change to the tedium that was her life. Not to mention he was also very pleasing to the eye, compared to her ancient husband that was.
“Are you going to let me in, or are you going to cling to the door all morning?” Merton asked, raising one eyebrow as he did so.
He was looking at her in that indulgent way of his. No one, apart from maybe Garren, had looked at her the way Merton did now. It was very persuasive.
“What if my husband returns?”
“While I was ravishing you?” Merton looked shocked. “Well,” he breathed out slowly and crept closer to the door. He raised his hand and rested it on the doorframe. “He would be in for a sight, although I have been told that my body is rather fine to behold,” he smiled charmingly at her.
“You are not funny,” Amandine said. She tried to glance down the hallway again, but he was blocking her view.“There is no one there, and your husband has drunk himself into unconsciousness. I saw him this morning, fast asleep with his head resting on his plate. I do not think he will be coming back here anytime soon.”
“Oh no, not again,” she sighed and leant her head against the edge of the door. “I should have gone and looked for him last night, I suppose.” But instead, she had been glad for his absence, especially when she woke herself up in the dead of night, calling Merton’s name out loud. She felt her face heat as she recalled her dream. “Thank you for telling me, I had better go and rescue him.”
Her voice sounded thoroughly fed-up, but also resigned and Merton found himself hating her husband for humiliating her so.
“He seemed quite content with his lot. I don’t think he needs rescuing. Are you ever going to let me in or are we going to spend the day conversing in the hall?”
“I can’t let you in,” Amandine said in horror. “What would people say?”“What people?” He made much of looking down the corridor. When he looked back at her, she had narrowed her eyes and was frowning at him. He smiled as she opened the door wider.
“This isn’t a good idea,” she whispered as she led him further into the chamber she shared with her husband.
Merton shut the door with a resounding bang and turned the key, for he did not want them to be disturbed.
“Now, where would you like to be ravished?” He took a moment to look around the room as if contemplating the best place. “Nice bed.”


Links for Purchase
Amazon US
Amazon UK
  About the author
Mary Anne Yarde is an award winning author of the International Best Selling Series — The Du Lac Chronicles. Set a generation after the fall of King Arthur, The Du Lac Chronicles takes you on a journey through Dark Age Briton and Brittany, where you will meet new friends and terrifying foes. Based on legends and historical fact, the Du Lac Chronicles is a series not to be missed.
Born in Bath, England, Mary Anne Yarde grew up in the southwest of England, surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology. Glastonbury--the fabled Isle of Avalon--was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her home, and tales of King Arthur and his knightsWebsite and BlogTwitterFacebookGoodreads

#RavensFeastBookBlast ~ Eric Schumacher #HistFic @DarkAgeScribe @HFVBT

Book Blast ~ Historical Virtual Book Tour Presents.... Raven’s Feast ByEric Schumacher
 
Raven’s Feast is the sequel to God’s Hammer, the true story of Hakon Haraldsson and his quest to win and keep the High Seat of Viking Age Norway.
It is 935 A.D. and Hakon Haraldsson has just wrested the High Seat of the North from his ruthless brother, Erik Bloodaxe. Now, he must fight to keep it.
The land-hungry Danes are pressing from the south to test Hakon before he can solidify his rule. In the east, the Uplanders are making their own plans to seize the throne. It does not help that Hakon is committed to his dream of Christianizing his people – a dream his countrymen do not share and will fight to resist.As his enemies move in and his realm begins to crumble, Hakon and his band of oath-sworn warriors must make a stand in Raven’s Feast, the riveting sequel to God’s Hammer.
“At its core, Raven’s Feast is more than a story about a young king holding firm to the power he has won in Viking Norway,” said Eric Schumacher, author of Raven’s Feast. “It is the story of a young man holding true to one’s self and convictions in the face of extreme challenges — something to which, I hope, many people can relate.”
Praise for God’s Hammer (Hakon’s Saga, Book 1)
“Eric Schumacher has created the most evocative tale in his stunning novel — God’s Hammer. This book completely drew me in. The research that has gone into God’s Hammer has to be commended, and it is incredibly rich in historical detail. It was as if I was looking through a window into the past as I read the pages of this remarkable story. Hakon’s portrayal is both realistic and believable. Schumacher has obviously researched the life of Hakon in great detail, and this certainly came through in the writing. Schumacher brought Hakon back to life. Well Done!” – Mary Anne Yarde,the author of The Du Lac Chronicles
“Author Eric Schumacher put together a rousing story of warfare, religious strife and tested friendships.” – Mercedes Rochelle, author of Godwine Kingmaker and The Sons of Godwine
Links for Purchase
Amazon

To celebrate the launch, the prequel, God’s Hammer, will be available free-of-charge on Amazon in the US, UK and Canada from May 2-6, 2017.
About the author   
 
Eric Schumacher was born in Los Angeles in 1968 and currently resides in Santa Barbara, CA with his wife, two children and dog. He is the author of two historical fiction novels, God’s Hammer and its sequel, Raven’s Feast. Both tell the story of the first Christian king of Viking Norway, Hakon Haraldsson, and his struggles to gain and hold the High Seat of his realm.

More information on Eric and his Hakon Sagas can be found on his website. You can also connect with Eric on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and AuthorsDB.
Raven’s Feast by Eric Schumacher

Publication Date: May 1, 2017
Creativia
eBook & Paperback

Series: Hakon’s Saga, Book 2
Genre: Fiction/Historical

  

#bookreview ~ Henry (Book #3 Of The Tudor Trilogy) #HistFic #Tudors @tonyriches

Henry(Book Three Of The Tudor Trilogy) ByTony Riches
    Bosworth 1485: After victory against King Richard III, Henry Tudor becomes King of England. Rebels and pretenders plot to seize his throne. The barons resent his plans to curb their power and he wonders who he can trust. He hopes to unite Lancaster and York through marriage to the beautiful Elizabeth of York. With help from his mother, Lady Margaret Beaufort, he learns to keep a fragile peace. He chooses a Spanish Princess, Catherine of Aragon, as a wife for his son Prince Arthur. His daughters will marry the King of Scotland and the son of the Emperor of Rome. It seems his prayers are answered, then disaster strikes and Henry must ensure the future of the Tudors.

What did I think of the Book?
King Richard III is dead. Long live the King...
Henry Tudor has a secret. He never wanted to be king. But now, thanks to his family's ambition, and victory at Bosworth, Henry finds himself King of England.
Henry wants to bring peace to this war-torn country. The only way to do this is to unite the House of Lancaster with the House of York and thus put an end to this madness. Henry's marriage to Edward IV's daughter, Elizabeth, would unite the land. But this is a time of great uncertainty as well as unrest. Henry soon comes to realize that it is not just his throne that is threatened by the whispers of York rebellion, but his young family as well.
Henry (Book Three Of The Tudor Trilogy), opens at the close of the Battle of Bosworth in 1485 and ends with Henry's death in 1509. I have read several interpretations of Henry's life before, but Henry (Book Three Of The Tudor Trilogy) keeps very close to the history. It doesn't sensationalist Henry, for better or worse, as others authors have done. I really like the way Tony Riches has portrayed King Henry. He is a very well-rounded character and totally believable. Bravo, Mr Riches.
I thought Henry's relationship with Elizabeth was beautifully portrayed. Mr. Riches shows that what started out as a political alliance soon grew into a love match. Henry clearly adored her and his children, and this came across in the telling.
I loved the portrayal of Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond and Derby. She's depicted as Henry's rock, the one he could turn to, especially after his Uncle Jasper's death. I was pleased to see that Mr. Riches didn't follow the modern trend of portraying Margaret as this power-crazed mad woman. Yes, she was certainly fundamental in her son taking the throne of England, but once Henry was crowned, Margaret became a valued member of the court and Henry's inner circle. Margaret always seemed to know what needed to be done. But as efficient as she was, Mr. Riches also portrayed Margaret as a loving grandmother, and she seemed to care very deeply for her daughter-in-law.
I think The Tudor Trilogy series is fabulous and you don't need to read them in order if you don't want to. It is a must read for readers who love the Tudor era.
 I Highly Recommend.



Links for Purchase
Amazon UK   
Amazon US


About the author   
Tony Riches is a full time author of best-selling historical fiction. He lives in Pembrokeshire, West Wales and is a specialist in the fifteenth century, with a particular interest in the Wars of the Roses and the lives of the early Tudors. For more information about Tony’s other books please visit his website tonyriches.com and his popular blog, The Writing Desk and find him on Facebook and Twitter @tonyriches.

Sir Lancelot du Lac ~ the Noblest of Arthur's knights #kingarthur #Arthurian

Carrying on with the Arthurian theme this week, I thought we would have a recap on my favourite Arthurian knight. If you have read my books, then you will know that I have a bit of a soft spot for Lancelot. He is the father of my protagonists in The Du Lac Chronicles, and his sons have a lot to live up to.
  Santiago Cabrera played Lancelot in the BBC drama, Merlin.
But putting my books aside, for just a moment… Scrap that, if you are in the middle of reading The Du Lac Chronicles, then please don't put it down, carry on reading.
Be gone with you back to Benwick and see what mischief Merton is getting up to now!
If you are not reading my books, I am going to assume that you have already read them, or are planning too...!!! But nevertheless, read on!
Right, (rubs hands with glee) Lancelot. What do we know about him?
Let's break this down into bullet points:

• He was Arthur's best friend.
Ioan Gruffudd played Lancelot in the 2004 film, King Arthur

• He was chivalrous.


• He was a bit of a ladies man.


• He was pretty good with the joust.


• Even better with the sword.


• Had an affair with Guinevere (what was he thinking?)!
The Accolade is a painting by British artist Edmund Leighton.



• Fell out with Arthur.

• Caused a Civil War.


• He was responsible for the downfall of Arthur, the Knights, Camelot, and consequently the whole of Britain.
Gustave Doré’s illustration of Camelot from “Enid”, 1867.

• He became a hermit (What?) 


Lancelot had a busy life, didn’t he? No wonder he has had ladies swooning for almost a thousand years. You are trying to do the math now; I can see you doing it. 


Unfortunately, this isn't entirely accurate. Until the 12th Century, Lancelot was a nobody. An unkown. It was the French poet, Chrétien de Troyes, who we have to thank for Lancelot’s creation. In Le Chevalier de la Charette, de Troyes portrays Lancelot as Arthur's greatest knight.
Chrétien de Troyes
As the years have gone by many others have contributed their 10 pence worth to this legendary knight.
Lancelot is everything a knight should be. He is noble, honest, a lover of women, kind, saintly, a lover of women, a defender of the weak, courageous, a lover of women, loyal, honourable, trustworthy, a lover of women,Follower of Christ, faithful to his word, and a lover of women.

Lancelot at the Chapel of the Holy Grail by the Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones
There is a bit of a theme here, isn’t there?
Lancelot’s Achilles Heel, if you like to call it that is, women. In particular one woman. But she is married. Worse than that she is married to his best friend who so happens to be the High King. Who so happens to be Arthur. I guess you can’t always help whom you fall in love with.
Lancelot’s story doesn’t have a happy ending. He loses almost everything. In the end, Guinevere chooses Arthur, and when he dies, she doesn't run back to Lancelot. Instead, she spends the rest of her days in a convent.
As for Lancelot, he is so guilt-ridden that he hides from the world and seeks solace in God.
Fast-forward many years to my books and Lancelot’s story does not end with the death of Arthur. He doesn’t become a hermit. He becomes a king. And what a king. But now Lancelot is dead and his sons find themselves in an ever-changing Saxon world, where chivalry is hanging in by its fingernails…


 The Du Lac Chronicles series...
 
A generation after Arthur Pendragon ruled, Briton lies fragmented into warring kingdoms and principalities.
Eighteen-year-old Alden du Lac ruled the tiny kingdom of Cerniw. Now he half-hangs from a wooden pole, his back lashed into a mass of bloody welts exposed to the cold of a cruel winter night. He’s to be executed come daybreak—should he survive that long.
When Alden notices the shadowy figure approaching, he assumes death has come to end his pain. Instead, the daughter of his enemy, Cerdic of Wessex, frees and hides him, her motives unclear.
Annis has loved Alden since his ill-fated marriage to her Saxon cousin—a marriage that ended in blood and guilt—and she would give anything to protect him. Annis’s rescue of Alden traps them between a brutal Saxon king and Alden’s remaining allies. Meanwhile, unknown forces are carefully manipulating the ruins of Arthur’s legacy.
 Grab you copy of The Du Lac Chronicles on Kindle for only 0.99 (Amazon US only) for a Limited Time.
Links for Purchase
Amazon US

Sir Lancelot du Lac ~ the Nobelist of Arthur's knights #kingarthur #Arthurian

Carrying on with the Arthurian theme this week, I thought we would have a recap on my favourite Arthurian knight. If you have read my books, then you will know that I have a bit of a soft spot for Lancelot. He is the father of my protagonists in The Du Lac Chronicles, and his sons have a lot to live up to.
  Santiago Cabrera played Lancelot in the BBC drama, Merlin.
But putting my books aside, for just a moment… Scrap that, if you are in the middle of reading The Du Lac Chronicles, then please don't put it down, carry on reading.
Be gone with you back to Benwick and see what mischief Merton is getting up to now!
If you are not reading my books, I am going to assume that you have already read them, or are planning too...!!! But nevertheless, read on!
Right, (rubs hands with glee) Lancelot. What do we know about him?
Let's break this down into bullet points:

• He was Arthur's best friend.
Ioan Gruffudd played Lancelot in the 2004 film, King Arthur

• He was chivalrous.


• He was a bit of a ladies man.


• He was pretty good with the joust.


• Even better with the sword.


• Had an affair with Guinevere (what was he thinking?)!
The Accolade is a painting by British artist Edmund Leighton.



• Fell out with Arthur.

• Caused a Civil War.


• He was responsible for the downfall of Arthur, the Knights, Camelot, and consequently the whole of Britain.
Gustave Doré’s illustration of Camelot from “Enid”, 1867.

• He became a hermit (What?) 


Lancelot had a busy life, didn’t he? No wonder he has had ladies swooning for almost a thousand years. You are trying to do the math now; I can see you doing it. 


Unfortunately, this isn't entirely accurate. Until the 12th Century, Lancelot was a nobody. An unkown. It was the French poet, Chrétien de Troyes, who we have to thank for Lancelot’s creation. In Le Chevalier de la Charette, de Troyes portrays Lancelot as Arthur's greatest knight.
Chrétien de Troyes
As the years have gone by many others have contributed their 10 pence worth to this legendary knight.
Lancelot is everything a knight should be. He is noble, honest, a lover of women, kind, saintly, a lover of women, a defender of the weak, courageous, a lover of women, loyal, honourable, trustworthy, a lover of women,Follower of Christ, faithful to his word, and a lover of women.

Lancelot at the Chapel of the Holy Grail by the Pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones
There is a bit of a theme here, isn’t there?
Lancelot’s Achilles Heel, if you like to call it that is, women. In particular one woman. But she is married. Worse than that she is married to his best friend who so happens to be the High King. Who so happens to be Arthur. I guess you can’t always help whom you fall in love with.
Lancelot’s story doesn’t have a happy ending. He loses almost everything. In the end, Guinevere chooses Arthur, and when he dies, she doesn't run back to Lancelot. Instead, she spends the rest of her days in a convent.
As for Lancelot, he is so guilt-ridden that he hides from the world and seeks solace in God.
Fast-forward many years to my books and Lancelot’s story does not end with the death of Arthur. He doesn’t become a hermit. He becomes a king. And what a king. But now Lancelot is dead and his sons find themselves in an ever-changing Saxon world, where chivalry is hanging in by its fingernails…


 The Du Lac Chronicles series...
 
A generation after Arthur Pendragon ruled, Briton lies fragmented into warring kingdoms and principalities.
Eighteen-year-old Alden du Lac ruled the tiny kingdom of Cerniw. Now he half-hangs from a wooden pole, his back lashed into a mass of bloody welts exposed to the cold of a cruel winter night. He’s to be executed come daybreak—should he survive that long.
When Alden notices the shadowy figure approaching, he assumes death has come to end his pain. Instead, the daughter of his enemy, Cerdic of Wessex, frees and hides him, her motives unclear.
Annis has loved Alden since his ill-fated marriage to her Saxon cousin—a marriage that ended in blood and guilt—and she would give anything to protect him. Annis’s rescue of Alden traps them between a brutal Saxon king and Alden’s remaining allies. Meanwhile, unknown forces are carefully manipulating the ruins of Arthur’s legacy.
 Grab you copy of The Du Lac Chronicles on Kindle for only 0.99 (Amazon US only) for a Limited Time.
Links for Purchase
Amazon US

The death of King Arthur was only the beginning… #Arthurian #histfic

I have great news, you can pick up your kindle copy of The Du Lac Chronicles for only 0.99 (Amazon US only). But hurry, this offer won’t last long!!The Du Lac Chronicles ByMary Anne Yarde
  A generation after Arthur Pendragon ruled, Briton lies fragmented into warring kingdoms and principalities.
Eighteen-year-old Alden du Lac ruled the tiny kingdom of Cerniw. Now he half-hangs from a wooden pole, his back lashed into a mass of bloody welts exposed to the cold of a cruel winter night. He’s to be executed come daybreak—should he survive that long.
When Alden notices the shadowy figure approaching, he assumes death has come to end his pain. Instead, the daughter of his enemy, Cerdic of Wessex, frees and hides him, her motives unclear.
Annis has loved Alden since his ill-fated marriage to her Saxon cousin—a marriage that ended in blood and guilt—and she would give anything to protect him. Annis’s rescue of Alden traps them between a brutal Saxon king and Alden’s remaining allies. Meanwhile, unknown forces are carefully manipulating the ruins of Arthur’s legacy.

[image error]

Book Extract
AD 495 Wessex, Briton.
Alden du Lac drew in a ragged breath. The cold night air hurt his lungs, and the rough wooden post that he was tied to rubbed the wounds on his back. He had prayed for the welcomed relief of unconsciousness; alas, it was not to be. It seemed even God wanted him to suffer for his failings.
He had lost count how many times he had been lashed. All he knew was that each lash represented every Wessex soldier that had been killed by his men. Cerniw's losses had been far higher, but no one paid for their deaths. Life was never fair, though; he did not need a lost battle and hundreds dead to tell him that much.
The year had been horrendous. Cerniw, with its rugged moorlands, its vast forests and beautiful coasts, had been struck with one pestilence after another. The people started to talk about moving, and some already had. Those who had stayed loyal to the land and, of course, to him, no doubt now wished they had not, for when Cerdic's Saxons came, they purged the kingdom, making it look like the hell the bishop preached of in his Sunday sermon. Alden, unlike God, had been powerless to do anything about it. Oh yes, he had fought, but the numbers he fought against had overwhelmed his army, for who could fight the devil, without God on their side, and think to win?  Alden hung his head in shame, his shoulder-length dark hair falling into his face. He cursed his naivety and worse still, his arrogance. His younger brother had warned him, but he had not heeded the warning; instead, he believed the useless treaty that Cerdic of Wessex had offered him only months before. He should have seen where Cerdic was going with it then, only he had been blinded by grief, by guilt. The responsibility for what happened, therefore, was his and his alone. He knew that, and he took the blame. He deserved to be tied to a post waiting for death.  Alden closed his pain-filled grey eyes as the image of his homeland in flames scorched his mind. He could hear the screams, the begging for mercy, and the cries for help. He could taste the terror in the air and feel the heat of the flames. Dear God, what had he done?
He had been left with no alternative. Even now, with the clarity of hindsight, he could see no other choice. He had ridden towards the enemy, carrying the white flag of truce and hoping ⎯ sweet Lord, how he had hoped ⎯ for clemency, not for himself, but for his people.
Instead, Cerdic's soldiers had pulled him unceremoniously from his horse and taken him prisoner along with at least eighty of his kinsmen. Of their fate he was uncertain, but his was assured. If he did not die tonight from exposure then an axe awaited him at dawn. It was a terrifying thought, and he prayed to God for courage. He felt no warm, welcoming presence and he feared what all men secretly feared, that on the morrow, he would not die well.
Snow began to fall softly from the night sky, not enough to settle, just enough to plummet the temperature further. He began to shiver. He tried thinking of a warm fire and his large bed covered in thick furs. It did not help. After all, when last he saw his fort it was in flames.
“Are you still alive, du Lac?”
Alden kept his head down, pretending to be unconscious, and hoped the bastard would leave him alone to die in peace.
Draca, the guard in charge of the prisoners, was not fooled. He lived for terror and he had no intention of allowing the former ruler of Cerniw an easy death. He grabbed Alden's chin roughly and forced his head up.
Alden opened his eyes and stared with contempt at the soldier in front of him. Draca was a huge man, with a shiny bald head, tiny eyes and a big fist, whose breath stank of stale beer and his body of gone-off fish mixed horribly with the smell of fresh blood ⎯ not his own, but someone else's.
“Not quite dead yet, are you? Won't be long, though.” Draca chuckled deep in his throat. “I've never killed a King before. I'm looking forward to it…”
Links for Purchase

 

Amazon US



About the author
Mary Anne Yarde is an award winning author of the International Best Selling Series — The Du Lac Chronicles. Set a generation after the fall of King Arthur, The Du Lac Chronicles takes you on a journey through Dark Age Briton and Brittany, where you will meet new friends and terrifying foes. Based on legends and historical fact, the Du Lac Chronicles is a series not to be missed.
Born in Bath, England, Mary Anne Yarde grew up in the southwest of England, surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology. Glastonbury--the fabled Isle of Avalon--was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her home, and tales of King Arthur and his knights

#newrelease ~ King Arthur: Legend of the Sword

So in recognition of the release of King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, I thought I would have an Arthurian-themed week on the blog ~ because regular readers will know that isn't a subject that I have covered very much before!! Just over 60 blog posts I believe, but who's counting?
Let's start the week off by looking at the movie that everyone is talking about.

  Here is the blurb ~ with thanks to Wikipedia
The young Arthur runs the back streets of Londinium with his crew, unaware of his royal lineage until he draws the sword Excalibur from the stone. Instantly confronted by the sword’s influence, Arthur is forced to decide when to become involved with his power. Throwing in with the Resistance and an enigmatic young woman named Guinevere, he must learn to master the sword, face down his demons, unite the people to defeat the tyrant Vortigern — who murdered his parents and stole his crown — and become king.

What do you think? Is it something you would go and watch?
Let's take a look at the movie trailer.
  King Arthur: Legend of the Sword – Comic-Con Trailer Official Warner Bros. UK


I am often asked if I avoid King Arthur based movies and my answer is No. I love seeing the different interpretations. So before you ask, yes, I will be checking out  King Arthur: Legend of the Sword.
If you have seen this movie I would love to hear your opinions. Don't forget to comment at the bottom of this post!

If, after you have watched King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, you feel like staying with the Arthurian story, then don't forget to check out my book series...
The Du Lac Chronicles

 
“Chivalry is hanging in by its fingernails and treachery is in the air…”Tony Riches ~ author of The Tudor Trilogy

“If you’re a fan of Game of Thrones and/or The Vikings, you’ll love the back-stabbing/political jockeying in The Du Lac Devil.”
N.N.Light


The Du Lac Chronicles is set a generation after the death of King Arthur, and it follows the fortunes and misfortunes of Lancelot du Lac's sons.
  

Special Purchase


Grab your kindle copy of The Du Lac Chronicles for only 0.99. But hurry, this offer won't last long!

Amazon US
Amazon UK

Author’s Inspiration ~ The Shadow Queen #Historical #histfic @anne_obrien

Please give a warm welcome to The Sunday Times Bestselling author, Anne O'Brien. Anne is going to share with us the inspirations behind her latest book...  The Shadow Queen
 
The Shadow Queen is the story of Joan of Kent, a tale of treachery, power-hungry families and legal subterfuges, in which Joan, a woman of considerable charm and beauty, played a central role at the Plantagenet Court.‘What would enhance the pattern of my life further? One word slid into mymind. A seductive word. A dangerous word, perhaps, for a woman. Power.’From her first clandestine marriage Joan of Kent’s reputation was one of scandal and rumour.  Her royal blood made her a desirable bride, but her ambition and passion could become a threat to the stability of the Plantagenet dynasty.Joan knew what she must do to survive, the political games to play, the alliances she must make, even if one man will always own her heart.  But would her ambitions bring her happiness?A dramatic story of love and loyalty and of the cost of personal ambition, this is the story  of the woman who would ultimately seek power as the mother to the ten year old King Richard II, from the shadows of the throne.The Shadow Queenbreathes life back into this remarkable medieval woman, Joan, the Fair Maid of Kent of Kent.


Author’s Inspiration

Joan of Kent: A Many-Faceted Woman
All the medieval women I have written about in the past have been chosen by me because of the characters with whom they interacted and the story they had to tell of the politics and social mores of the day.  Joan of Kent was the one to do the choosing in this writing partnership.  She has appeared in cameo slots in previous novels.  This time she demanded a stage of her own.
I have to admit to an initial reluctance.  I have stepped around this Plantagenet princess because she was such a complex character with much myth attached to her and little evidence.  Apart from some significant points in her life, certainly of a scandalous nature, we know very little about her.  It is all supposition and possibilities.  When it comes to her motivations, we are left in the dark, reliant on conjecture.  More importantly, for me, it takes more than scandal to make a medieval woman into an exciting and dramatic subject for a historical novel.  For me she must be involved in the events of the reign with some influence on the lives of those around her.
Yet Joan hovered on my horizon, appearing in The King's Concubine as a significant mover and shaker.  Ultimately I had to take her on if only to see which of the contemporary opinions had some truth behind them. I decided that it would be a writer's act of cowardice to turn my back on this intriguing woman who became Princess of Wales, Princess of Aquitaine and ultimately King's Mother.
Was she '... the most beautiful lady in the whole realm of England, and by far the most amorous.' So says Jean Froissart.  Was she  'beauteous, charming and discreet.'  The opinion of the Chandos Herald.Or was this a more accurate, and far less flattering, summing up of Joan?  '...concerning  whose birth (Richard II) many unsavoury things were commonly said (of Joan), namely that he (Richard) was not born to a father of the royal line, but of a mother given to slippery ways - to say nothing of many other things I have heard.'  Thus the opinion given in The Chronicle of Adam Usk.It would be an interesting exercise.Joan was notable for her three marriages, two of them clandestine and one quite definitely bigamous.  Here, for once, we have much evidence about the legalities of the decisions made to solve the problem of Joan's bigamy, but here was also the intrigue.  Was Joan simply a pawn in the pattern of royal alliance-making, forced into a union with a powerful family against her will, or did she take her future into her own hands?  Was she sweet and beautiful and perfectly compliant, or did she have a will of iron? Even more important, was Joan's first marriage simply the result of a lust-filled seduction of a gullible young girl by Sir Thomas Holland, who should have known better?  
Myth says that Joan had a childhood and reciprocal love affair with Edward of Woodstock, later Prince of Wales, which ultimately brought them together into marriage when Joan was widowed.  This seems highly improbably since Edward was two years younger than Joan, and Joan was already wed to Sir Thomas Holland when barely more than a child.  A youthful love affair is not a likely scenario.  So what was her relationship with Prince Edward, and what persuaded her to engage in a marriage with the Prince, a marriage equally as clandestine as the one with Thomas Holland, until a papal dispensation sorted out the mess?
I was also interested to discover if Joan had ambition.  Of royal blood and first cousin to King Edward III, how did she see her future as the daughter of a man executed for treason?  After the death of King Edward III, Joan was in the pre-eminent position of  King's Mother for her ten year old son Richard II.  Did she wield any influence?  And what was her relationship with the infamous Alice Perrers and the equally ambitious John of Gaunt?   Their paths certainly crossed.  Here were relationships I knew I would like to explore.
Finally there was the issue of Joan's insecurity which dogged her final days.  Joan's marriage scandals might just cast a dark shadow over the legitimate inheritance of her son.
What a roller coaster of a life it turned out to be for Princess Joan, the Fair Maid of Kent.  Using the evidence where we have it, particularly in Aquitaine where neither Joan nor Prince Edward made many friends, I have developed her character of much notoriety, some charm and considerable ambition.  This is Joan of Kent, The Shadow Queen.


Links for PurchaseOn sale in Waterstones, WHS and all good bookshops a well as on Amazon


About the author

Anne O’Brien was born in West  Yorkshire. After gaining a BA Honours degree in History at Manchester University and a Master’s in Education at Hull, she lived in East Yorkshire for many years as a teacher of history.She now lives with her husband in an eighteenth-century timber-framed cottage in the depths of the Welsh Marches in Herefordshire, on the borders between England and Wales, where she writes historical novels.  The perfect place in which to bring medieval women back to life.
Visit me.Website: https://www.anneobrien.co.ukFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/anneobrienbo... @anne_obrien

Cover Reveal ~ Desperate Knight (Book #2 of The Knights of Kilborne) #Historical #fantasy @kilbourneknight

 I just had to share the cover reveal for Desperate Knight. The art work is amazing, isn't it? I am a big fan of this series and it is one I Highly Recommend. Don't forget to enter the giveaway ~ scroll down for more details...
DESPERATE KNIGHTBook 2 in the Knights of Kilbourne seriesby award-winning fantasy/romance authorKeith W. Willishttp://www.keithwillisauthor.com/
Coming summer 2017 from Champagne Bookshttp://champagnebooks.com/
No time… No plan… No options…No one said saving the world would be easy. 

Morgan McRobbie and Lady Marissa duBerry swing back into swashbuckling action, facing old enemies, new threats, and a diabolical conspiracy. Not to mention a more personal battle, one with hearts and pride at stake.
As the pair escorts Prince Robert to the dwarf king’s court, a fiendish scheme is unfolding, intended to hurl men and dwarves into a devastating war. Morgan ends up sidetracked by a kidnapped dwarf and a centuries-old feud, while a mysterious wizard’s revelations shake Marissa to her core, throwing into question everything she thought she knew about her past and future. And the advent of a rival for Marissa’s affections threatens any hope of a happy ending—if they survive.
Once again the desperate knight and indomitable damsel must hazard everything on a single throw of the dice, gambling on untested allies and unimagined weapons to save their world. And the odds have never been worse.  

Praise for TRAITOR KNIGHT (Book 1 of Knights of Kilbourne)
“…well-told story with a witty heroine, a noble-yet-flawed hero, and a colorful set of secondary characters. And a dragon! Let's not forget the dragon!” –Tegan Wren, author of Inconceivable
“…a witty and action-packed page-turner that takes the classic fantasy land and adds depth, character, romance and political intrigue to brilliant effect.”  -- SFF World
“I recommend Traitor Knight to anyone looking for a good fantasy with just a dash of romance.” – Long & Short Reviews
 Links for Purchase
AmazonChampagne Books Barnes & NobleSmashwords
Giveaway   Clink on the link and enter for a chance to win a $10 Amazon Gift Card!!
RAFFLECOPTER

                                          
About the author


Keith W. Willis graduated (long ago) with a degree in English Lit from Berry College, Georgia. He now lives in the scenic Hudson Valley/Adirondack region of NY with his wife Patty. Keith is certain those rumbling noises attributed to Henry Hudson's crew are really just the dragons grumbling. He began writing seriously in 2008, when the voices in his head got too annoying to ignore. When he’s not making up stories he manages a group of database content editors at a global information technology firm. TRAITOR KNIGHT (Champagne Books) is his first published novel, and has won awards for both fantasy and romance. The second book in the Knights of Kilbourne series, DESPERATE KNIGHT, is slated for a summer 2017 release.
You can find Keith:
On the Web:    http://www.keithwillisauthor.com
On Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/keith.willis.581 (personal)                          https://www.facebook.com/TRAITOR-KNIGHT-191368320972613/ (books)
On Twitter:     https://twitter.com/kilbourneknight